Description

This native perennial plant is unbranched and about 3-4' tall. The central stem is winged, with a slight scattering of small white hairs on the ridges. The alternate leaves are about 5" long and 2" wide, lanceolate to ovate in shape, rather soft in texture, and covered with small white hairs. This gives the leaves a fuzzy light green appearance, especially on their undersides. The inflorescence at the apex of the plant has several daisy-like composite flowers on rather short pedicels with abundant long white hairs. These composite flowers are bright yellow, about 22½" across, and become rather ragged in appearance after they pass their prime. Each flower has 6-12 ray florets, which spread outward horizontally from the central cone (roughly), rather than drooping. The disk florets present a pincushion-like appearance, with each disk floret projecting outward and visibly separated from the others. The blooming period is early to mid-summer, and lasts about a month. There is no noticeable scent to the flowers. This plant often forms colonies from its rhizomes.